As technology in the gaming industry progresses, the once traditional mechanically-driven reel slot machines have been replaced with electronic counterparts having CRT video displays or the like. These video/electronic gaming advancements enable the operation of more complex gambling games which would not otherwise be possible on mechanical-driven gambling machines. For example, in addition to reel slot machines, it is now common to observe stand alone or multiple platform video electronic games including Keno, Blackjack, Poker, Pai Gow, and all the variations thereof, in even the smallest gaming establishments. These electronic game devices may comprise numerous internal electrical components including, for example, a power supply, a lighted display and a CPU. During extensive use, and due to the fact that these game devices are always "on" even when not in use, many of the internal electrical components thereof require cooling.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional gaming machine which, currently, are typically cooled using at least one box fan 3. The box fan 3 is located within the gaming machine 2 and strategically placed on or near internal components requiring cooling, depending on space provisions. The box fan 3 distributes air from within the machine onto or around these internal components for convection cooling thereof. Typically, a housing 6 of the gamine machine 2 includes an air intake vent 4 to introduce fresh air to the internal components in the gaming machine. Typically, top boxes and base cabinets of a gaming machine are cooled separately. Therefore, it is common to have intake and exhaust ports for the top box and base cabinet, respectively. The housing 6 further includes an air exhaust vent 5 to exhaust air from the gaming machine. Generally, the air intake vent 4 and air exhaust vent 5 are spaced-apart along the side face of the housing to enable air circulation across the internal components. Vent location, however, is often dictated by space limitations.
Accordingly, during operation of the fan 3, the air is drawn into the housing 6 through intake part 4. After flowing past the internal components, the air exits the housing through exhaust port 5. As a consequence of this arrangement, the air driven by the box fan 3 is limited to the air that has circulated through the internal components, both electrical and mechanical, in the gaming machine interior. Correspondingly, the air may be heated by internal components before the air reaches other heat critical components. By way of example, the air may be heated by a monitor or coin hopper closer to the air inlet 4 before the air reaches a CPU proximate to the box fan 3. As some internal components may be more heat sensitive, this pre-heating of cooling air used by the box fan 3 may diminish heat removal for the heat sensitive components.
Another problem associated with this design is that internal particulates and contaminates can often be passed from one internal component to another internal component due to the common circulation of the air. For example, within the gaming machine housing 6, there is often an accumulation of coin dust and other particulates generated from the action of coins with the coin hopper. This dust often consists of metallic particles such as nickel and copper from the coins, and stainless steel from the hopper. As a result, this conductive dust complicates the cooling of internal components. More specifically, the box fan 3 circulates the coin dust from within the gaming machine and then distributes and deposits it onto the components being cooled, as well as other internal components which do not require cooling. Such deposition of these conductive particulates may compromise the operation of sensitive components within the gaming machine, and may even cause shorting of circuitry.
In an attempt to remove the coin dust, filters have been strategically positioned in the housing 6. Unfortunately, heavily trafficked machines continuously generate substantial amounts of coin dust which necessitates constant servicing of the filters. Not only does this increase maintenance costs, but machine down time as well.
In addition to the above problems, it is sometimes necessary in gaming machine design to position critical components in isolated or confined locations. When these critical components are heat sensitive, this restricted placement may diminish the cooling efficiency of the box fan 3.
Accordingly, in view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide an alternative technique to cool the internal components of a gaming machine while isolating these components from the dust generated during use.